Anesthesia apparatus.



B. MORGAN.

ANESTHESIA APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-18,1915.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET B. MORGAN.

ANESTHESIA APPARATUS.

APPLICATIONIILED mzc. 18, 1915.

LQUQEW. Patented 00. 31,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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BEN MORGAN, OF CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLARD F. CLARK, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

AN'ESTHESIA APPARATUS.

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Application filed December 18, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BEN IVIORGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anesthesia Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to certain improvements in anesthesia apparatus, that is, apparatus for administering anesthetics. The apparatus is particularly designed and constructed for the successful application of ether, and certain of the features are intended to enable the operator to successfully use this particular anesthetic. It will appear, however, that many of the features can be successfully used for the administration of Other anesthetics than ether.

Ether is a relatively powerful anesthetic, and a comparatively small percentage of ether vapor in the air is suflicient to produce anesthesia. For a similar reason, the apparatus in which ether is used should be so constructed that a very accurate and quick control of vapor percentage may be secured. In the ordinary case, the desired vapor percentage may be obtained by simply causing the air to pass over the surface of abody of ether, but in other cases it may be desired to secure a greater concentration than can be secured in the foregoing manner.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction such that, in ordinary operations, the evaporation will be obtained from the surface of a body of ether, whereas when greater concentrations are desired they can be obtained by nebulizing the ether by causing the air to bubble up through its body.

Another feature of the invention has reference to the provision of a valve for the admission of fresh air into the mixture of air and vapor, so as to secure a still further dilution under the direct control of the operator. The arrangement is such that this additional air will be admitted at or adjacent to the face mask, so as to get an immediate response in percentage of dilution at the patients face. In this way the condition of the patient may be very closely followed, and the mixture delivered to him may be almost instantaneously changed from time to time as his symptoms may indicate to be desirable.

Another object is to provide a construction which will insure a perfect one-Way Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 31, 1916.

Serial No. 67,597.

flow of mixture to the patient, thereby absolutely eliminating the possibility of rebreathing.

Another feature has reference to the provision of a construction such that it may be very easily and quickly converted or modified for use in the administering of anesthetic directly to the throat of a patient, for the performance of such operations as removal of tonsils, etc.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same which consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

At normal temperature and atmospheric pressure, there will be evaporation of a given number of grains of ether per square inch of other surface exposed to the air. A knowledge of the numberof grains of ether per minute, or per hour needed to secure anesthesia in a given patient, will enable a calculation of the number of square inches of superficial area of ether which should be subjected to the influence of the air delivered to the patient. In order to make any given anesthesia apparatus of general usefulness and applicability, it should be designed of sufiicient size to expose such area of ether to the influence of the air as will deliver ether rapidly enough to secure anesthesia under the worst conditions. Therefore, the apparatus should. be sufiiciently large to evaporate ether at such rapidity as to produce anesthesia, for example, in a large man addicted to alcoholic habits.

An apparatus of the size mentioned in the preceding paragraph will ordinarily be too large for the treatment of the average patient, so that there would be grave danger in its use for the administration of the anesthetic to a normal patient. In order to overcome this objection, I have provided in the construction disclosed herein two features; one of these consists in the provision of means for permitting the entry of fresh air directly at the face mask, and the other consists in the construction of the apparatus of proper size to secure a sufficient surface of evaporation for the treatment of the normal patient, and then providing means for securing an extra evaporation when it is desired to treat an abnormal patient. In other words, the size of the apparatus can be designed for use with the normal patient, and nevertheless it can be used for the treatment of the abnormal patient when necessity requires.

Referring now to the drawings: Figure 1 shows aphantom view of the complete apparatus for the administration of an anesthetic by means of a face mask; Fig. 2 is a vertical fragmentary section through the upper portion of the face mask and through the adjacent valve mechanism; Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmentary section through the intake and reinforcement portals; Fig. 4: is a modified section corresponding to Fig. 2, with] the exception that a tube has been substituted to' permit the administration of anesthetic for operating on the throat; Fig. 5 is a modified section corresponding-to Fig. 3, with the exception that a tube connection is shown for the purpose of enabling the operator to deliver fresh air'to' the apparatus under pressure; Fig. 6 shows a detail section through one of the caps for controlling the admission of air; and Fig. 7 shows another. modified construction in which the airtube of Fig. 5 is connected into one of the caps of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Referring" now to the seve 'al figures, the evaporating chamber is designated by the numeral 6. It may be of metal, glass, porcelain, or any other desired material. Ordinarily it will be relatively shallow and preferably of circular contour with fiat bottom and top portions. The ether may be introduced through an opening in the top side which is normally closed by a cap 7. In the normal operation of the device, the fresh air'enters through a tube 8, whereas when greater concentrations are desired, the air enters through the tube 9. The tube 8 .extends down into the body of the chamber and terminates at a point adjacent to the upper surface of the ether. The ether should be filled into the chamber up to a level close to the bottom end of the tube 8, but said bottom end should not be submerged. On the other hand, the tube 9 extends approximately tothe bottom of the chamber and is provided with a number of perforations 10 through which air may be delivered directly into the body of the ether and beneath its surface, so that the air will bubble up through the ether and nebulize the same. On the upper end of the tubes 8 and 9 is'a cap 11, the construction of which is shown in detail inFig. 6. Each of these caps controls the admission of air. A stationary plate 12 has a plurality of openings 18; and a rotatable plate ld having a plurality of openings 15, may be fully or'partially registered with the openings 13. As far as the features of the present invention are concerned, however, many other forms of valve or cap'might be substituted for the foregoing. In thatside of the chamber opposite to thetnbesffi and 9 -is-a tube 16, the

lower end of which terminates approximately at the same level as the lower end of the tube 8. lVhen the ether is filled into the chamber to the proper level, the lower end of the tube 16 stands slightly above the surface of the ether, so that it will draw the mixture of air and ether vapor, but will not draw the raw ether.

The face mask 17 may be of any desired construction, but, for purposes of convenience, I have illustrated a transparent mask having a pneumatic cushion 18 by means of which a firm, air-tight connection is secured to the face of the patient. In the upper portion of the face mask, is a respiratory valve 19, through which the foul air is discharged. This-respiratory valve comprisesa nipple 20 seated against the inside surface of the face mask in conjunction with a cap 21 threaded down onto said nipple and clamping the material of the mask against the nipple. The cap 21 has a number of openings 22, and a diaphragm valve 28 works within the cap. When the patient respires, the foul air raises the diaphragm alve and allows it to discharge. hen the patient inspires, said valve closes. The valve normally remains closed under the force of gravity.

A flexible non-collapsible hose 24: leads from the tube 16 to the face mask. Interposed in this tube, is an inspiratory valve which permits the patient to draw the mixture from the vaporizing chamber, but which inspiratory valve prevents re-breathing. This valve is designated by the numeral and is placed at a point close to the face mask. It comprises a casing having the ports :26 and 27 separated by a partition 28. lVithin this partition is seated. a nipple 29 which extends up into a chamber 30 in communication with the port 27. Into the upper end of said nipple threads a collar 31, and a plurality of openings 32 are formed in the sides of the nipple. A diaphragm valve 33 works up and. down in the nipple and when it is raised it permits the mixture to travel from the port 26 to the port 27. A transparent plate 34 of celluloid or the like closes the upper end of the casing, said plate being held in place by means of a sleeve 35. In the particular construction illustrated, a split sleeve 36 is secured to the side of the face mask, the valve member 25 being provided with a collar 87 that fits snugly onto this split sleeve. By means of this construction, the face mask can be readily withdrawn from the valve member, and another article substituted for the face mask.

In the upper portion of the face mask and adjacent to the respiratory valve is a mixing valve 38. This valve may be of any suitable construction, but, for purposes of convenience, I have shown it as being of a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 6. It includes a nipple 39 seating against the the throat.

inside surface of the face mask, in combination with a cap 40 threaded onto the nipple and clamping the face mask against the nipple. The upper portion of this sleeve 40 has a plurality of ports 41. A plate 42 is rotatably mounted on the upper surface of the sleeve, and has the ports 43 which may be either partially or fully registered with the ports 41. By turning the plate 42 into proper position, the ports 41 may be fully closed.

When it is desired to use this apparatus for the administration of anesthetic to the throat, the face tube 44 has its inner end provided with a split sleeve 45 which may be connected into the sleeve 87 of the valve member 25, and has its outer end 4:6 bent inwardly substantially as illustrated in Fig. l. When the patient is lying on the operating table, with the top of his head toward the valve member 25, the hooked portion 46 may be hooked in against the roof of his mouth, so as to deliver the mixture downward along the roof of the mouth and into This will produce anesthesia at the point desired. Ordinarily when the apparatus is being used in the foregoing man ner, air will be forced into the vaporizing chamber under pressure. This may be done by means of a tube connection 47 having a union nut 48 which may be screwed onto the upper end of either the intake portal or the reinforcement portal as desired, the cap be ing removed from such portal and the cap of the other portal being closed. Then the air may be delivered to the tube 47 through a flexible hose 49 from a foot bellows, or in any other manner desired.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 7, the tube 47 is formed in the side of one ofthe caps 11, said cap being provided also with the perforated plate 14:.

I claim:

1. In an anesthetic apparatus, the combination of an evaporating chamber, an inhaler, a connection from the evaporating chamber to the interior of the inhaler, an inspiratory valve in said connection in immediate proximity to the inhaler, a respiratory valve in the inhaler, an inlet portal in the evaporating chamber for the delivery of air adjacent to the surface of anesthetic contained in said chamber, a reinforcement portal in the evaporating chamber for the delivery of air adjacent to the bottom of said chamber, a valve for controlling the admission of air through each of said portals, and a valve in the inhaler for controlling the admission of fresh air to the same.

2. In an anesthetic apparatus, the combination of an evaporating chamber, an inhaler, a connection from the evaporating @opies .01 this patent may he obtained for chamber to the inhaler, an inspiratory valve in said connection, a respiratory valve in the inhaler, an inlet portal in the evaporating chamber for permitting delivery of fresh air into said chamber adjacent to and above the surface of anesthetic contained within the chamber, a reinforcement portal for permitting the delivery of air into the evaporating chamber beneath the surface of anesthetic contained in said chamber, and valves for controlling the admission of air through said portals.

3. In an anesthetic apparatus, the combination of a suitable delivery fitting, an evaporating chamber, a connection from said chamber to said fitting, an inlet portal for delivering air into the evaporating chamber above the surface of anesthetic contained within the same, a reinforcement portal for the delivery of air into the evaporating chamber beneath the surface of anesthetic contained therein, and valves for controlling the admission of air through both of said portals.

4:. In an anesthetic apparatus, the combination with a suitable delivery fitting, of an evaporating chamber, an inlet portal for the delivery of air above the surface of anesthetic contained within said chamber, a reinforcement portal for the delivery of air beneath the surface of anesthetic contained within the chamber, and means for delivering air through a selected one of said portals.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with an evaporating chamber, of an inlet portal for the delivery of air into the chamber above the surface of anesthetic contained within the same, a reinforcement portal for the delivery of air into the evaporating chamber beneath the surface of anesthetic contained therein, and valves for controlling the admission of air through both of said portals.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with an evaporating chamber, of means for delivering air into said chamber above the surface of anesthetic contained within. the same, of means for de livering air within the chamber beneath the surface of anesthetic contained therein, and means for controlling the delivery of air through said delivering means.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with an evaporating chamber, of means for delivering air into said chamber either above or below the surface of anesthetic contained within the chamber, as

desired.

BEN MORGAN. Witnesses:

THoMAs A. BANNING, Jr., JOHN A. Bonn.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

